Harry Potter and the meaning of the sorting hat
by This Girl is Slytherin
Summary: The war is over, the dark lord is dead. Some people have changed some still need changing. Perhaps this year they will listen to the sorting hat. (eighth year fic)
1. Chapter 1

Platform nine and three quarters was bustling with life as all of the new years, were gathering around, waiting to board the Hogwarts express. With the new addition of the eighth years, there was hardly any space to stand around. People were getting hot and bothered and patience was running low. Harry Potter found this all very amusing as he sat on his trunk, his back pressed against the cool stone wall. He was particularly drawn to the sight of Neville Longbottom trying to pry his wand out of the mouth of Theodore Nott's Eagle Owl. Harry couldn't help but let out a small laugh. With his left hand he was absent mindedly twirling his wand between his fingers. That was until it was snatched out of his hands, quite rudely and quite annoyingly as it taken him half an hour to successfully accomplish wand twirling.

'My wand Potter, I didn't realised you loved me enough to keep it.' Draco Malfoy ran his empty hand through his Platinum hair, handing the wand back to Harry and sitting himself on the floor. Harry rolled his eyes and pocketed the wand, purely because he had no trust in the blonde boy, and he didn't have enough faith in himself not to hex the git, however good the terms they were on.

'Good Godrick, Malfoy.' Harry drawled out. 'Can't keep your hands to your self can you. What do you need?' Malfoy smirked, rolling the sleeves of his pale blue button down, up to his elbows. Against his better judgment, Harry's eyes dropped to the scar that replaced the dark mark that formally inhabited the young Slytherins arm. Draco's mouth fell for a second as he followed Harry's line of sight, before consciously folding his arms, hiding the scar from view.

'Well Potter, what makes you think I want anything other than purely your delightful company?' Harry rolled his eyes again and glared at Malfoy lightly . 'I mean I know my mere presence makes you shake in your trainers but, come on. It's me!.' Malfoy smirked, eyebrows raised, standing himself up and holding out his hand. 'Draco Malfoy.' Harry smiled slightly at the unsaid offering of starting again. It had surprised the glasses clad boy, in the first place when the Malfoys, the good ones anyway, had risked themselves to help the good. He understood, after many years of observing, the Malfoy heir, that pride was what you needed to get anywhere. He had a new found respect that he wanted to treasure.

Smiling to himself and to the amusement of Draco, he stuck out his hand with pride

'Harry Potter.' With that they shook hands. Leaving there staring friends in shock, and delighted smirks on the boys faces.

* * *

><p>Dean Thomas tapped his foot against the compartment floor. Unlike the others who were desperately waiting in the slightly cooler station for as long as possible, Dean was alright with heat as his mother usually took them to Spain in the Holidays anyway. He was waiting for Seamus to show up, with the war only seven months over, he hadn't had much chance to see his Irish friend. He knew he should have written, after missing the whole of what was 'seventh year anyway,' but he had catching up to do with family. He missed Seamus dearly, thought about him constantly, and pined to hear the calming laughter that floated around the boy. Then the door to the apartment opened and Dean looked up smiling when he saw the boy.<p>

'Shea, mate I missed you so much.' Dean got up to hug the shorter boy, pausing halfway when he noticed the saddened smile, on his usually cheerful face. 'Shea, Seamus, what's wrong?' The Irish lad shook his head and sank into the seat. Following his lead Dean went to occupy the spot he just vacated.

'Seven months Dean. Do you know how hurt I was when ya din show up for seven months?' His voice was laced with confusion and pain. Something that made Deans own heart lace with guilt. Furrowing his brows and crossing his dark hands on his lap, dean leaned forward.

'Shea.' He whispered 'You know I love you right, your my best mate. I wasn't at home for a long time. I have my family.' He placed a hand carefully on Seamus' shoulder, only to feel crushed when it got shrugged off.

'I thought I was your family.' Seamus whispered back. His eyes had a thin layer of tears resting on them. With that he stood up. Leaving Dean feeling more alone than ever.

* * *

><p>Ron Weasley dragged his trunk along the corridors of the train, almost hitting Seamus as he went stomping past. He turned to look, convinced there had been tears falling down his cheeks. He was dragged promptly out of his worries by Hermione's rant about Blaise Zambini.<p>

'Then the nerve, when Dra-Malfoy stood up for him, I can't believe he humiliated Ginny like that, she and Harry broke up on mutual agreement, not because she didn't think his.. Harry's personal attributes, were up to standards. Then when he offered to amend that. Oh and I swear to Merlin, Harry was going to rip Dra-Malfoy's eyes out when he pointed out he didn't have anything anyway. Just when they were getting on good terms.' They had reached and empty apartment opting not to sit with Dean when Neville had run past, ducking into the carriage, an angry Theodore Nott hot on his trail.

'Well 'Mione, I mean, we are all civil. We have to be though, not always, 'cause we want to be. Everyone lost someone, I mean just because Harry and _Draco _are on good terms now, don't mean, they aren't gonna fight and disagree.' Hermione's eyes shone with pride. Ronald had matured a great deal, not just intellectually but emotionally. With the war, that devastated so many, the words 'interhouse unity' had sprung a meaning to all the current eight years. This change was drastic and surprising, but on someway or another, everyone silently agreed they needed each other. A whole lot better that loosing even more.

'I love you Ron.' Hermione whispered, grinning.

'Love you too' He replied. The words meaning a lot more now, then they had ever before.

* * *

><p>Ginny Weasley was confused for many reasons. Number one, she was sitting with Padma Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldstein, Hannah Abbot and Luna Lovegood. This was particularly baffling because apart from Luna, she wasn't remotely friends with these people. Ginny didn't get all this house unity, she wanted to try, everyone else was, but she felt she'd been hurt too much over the years by so many different people. Loosing her brother had made her change her view on being a follower. Her attraction for Harry had disappeared and she had embarked on working on her self. Working on self belief and trust.<p>

The second reason was that she had seen Dean sitting with Neville, not Seamus. Seamus was currently locked in one of the toilets, and however hard Susan was trying to bribe him into coming out, she couldn't, however much she needed to go. One of her goals to self acceptance was to make amends with people she'd lost friendship with, Dean being high up on that list. To see them sitting separately made her confused and worried.

'Ginny, I can see your contemplating something, do you want to talk?' Luna's questioned drifted into her mind and summoned her to reality.

'Oh, just Seamus was sitting without Dean.' she furrowed her brows. 'Why aren't you sitting with Neville?' Luna's smile decreased a fraction.

'Neville, didn't realise he liked someone else, so I helped him too see. As for Seamus and Dean, well things will work themselves out, they have a special bond. I can see it around them. They just are hurting is all.' Ginny sighed at Luna's mystical wisdom.

'Luna, who does Neville like then?' Hannah spoke up, there was a tiny trace of hope in her voice which made Ginny scowl. It was common fact Hannah greatly admired Neville, and common fact he was completely oblivious.

'Oh, I can't say. I promised him. Although the Slytherins are in for a shock.'

* * *

><p>The Slytherin compartment was fairly quiet, the compartment in question, the one inhabiting eighth years. Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bullstrode, Theodore Nott, Tracey Davies, Blaise Zambini and Pansy Parkinson were currently eyeing Draco. Who in tern was looking anywhere but them.<p>

'Befriending Potter is not going to sit well with Lucius.' Pansy stated again. Everyone except Theodore nodded in agreement. Blaise raised an eyebrow at him. He smirked in reply.

'Luna.' Blaise stated knowingly, hitting Theo on the back of his head when he nodded in agreement. 'That's not a good enough reason. Half the Wizarding world despises you. Draco. Your father is an ex-death eater. Just because you don't have him around anymore, does not mean he won't try something.'

'Yeah.' agreed Daphne. 'Look what he did when he new you were not going to marry Astoria.' The girls heads dropped down sadly. Theo winced a little, and Blaise just shot Draco a look that said, '_See here, that's what this does._'

There compartment door slid open and Harry Potter himself walked inside. The Slytherins shifted uncomfortably. Draco spun around to see why they had stopped nagging at him. 'Potter! Why are you here?' Draco questioned. It was different to his usual tone, something that greatly surprised Harry, there was no sarcasm lying heavily beneath the words, no threatening undertone. He was almost a little worried. Harry wondered if he was capable of being that Draco anymore.

'Um, yeah well. Seamus.. Seamus Finnegan, that is..'

'Potter, how many Seamus' are there?' Malfoy asked. Harry sighed, a little frustrated, he may have grown up but they needed to work on his social skills.

'Yes well, yeah. Anyway. He's locked him self in the toilet and is not coming out. Susan really needs to get in there, Michael tried spelling it open but it rebounded off the door and stunned him. So I was wondering, I mean you guys are powerful-strong, could you force the door open?' Theo and Millicent snorted.

'Trust Corner, to get stunned by a simple spell.' Millicent laughed out. Harry glared at her and turned back to Draco.

'Well, why not get Granger, she's the 'brightest witch of her age' after all.' Draco asked, the sarcasm finding it's way back into his voice. Harry growled in frustration.

'You don't think I didn't try already. I can't find her Ron stole her away somewhere. It's very annoying actually. The git.' Draco smiled. Harry was shocked, he'd never seen Malfoy smile, well a smile without any malice in it.

'Fine then, Blaise, Daphne go unlock the door. Pansy go and find Susan and bring her in here to use are toilets. Not that I care, the Hufflepuff, but I don't really want her to explode, I'll probably get blamed for it anyway.' Harry bit back a smile, he nodded his thanks and walked out.

'Right well I have a leprechaun to go save.' Blaise exclaimed sarcastically. 'Draco, I swear to god If I die for you because I decided to help, the chosen one, I will kill you myself.

* * *

><p>Michael Corner sat in the corridor of the Hogwarts express. He was a soldier, he thought for the light, they one. The war was over now though. Who was he? He was just a Ravenclaw, too smart, too nervous and awkward. Who would remember him in the history books. Who would remember a small cog in the works, when the defeater of the dark lord had so much more to offer. He had dark hair like Harry, but he wasn't Harry. He was Micahel. Michael whose only good dead so far had been preventing Susan from wetting herself, and he wasn't even doing that anymore because Pansy had, for some reason unknown, to anyone taken it upon herself to be nice. Susan was even helping more than him, she never even did anything important. Yes her loyalty had meant she'd spent the last twenty minutes trying to coax a extremely miserable looking Seamus Finnegan from a toilet on a train, but she was being useful he was just standing there being observant, yes he cast a spell, but that had backfired and hit him. Probably how he would be spending the rest if his life, in some job at the ministry, observing, marking papers. He wasn't special or rememberable, he was just Michael. Good old Michael.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The Sorting hat stood tall and proud, observing the watching eyes, there were no first years to be sorted, eighth years in there place. Haunted and scared, or exited, some lonely. Just watching and waiting for words. The sorting hat wasn't sure what they were hoping for. The same words that floated in there ears and out the other side, or the way they mocked them, 'Slytherins and Gryffindor's, never will get on, Hufflepuffs are whimps, Ravenclaws get off on books.' Same old response to words that might have saved them.

So the sorting hat smirked, it silently mocked. It remained powerful, knowledgeable knower of all minds. He laughed silently at all those mourning soles and contemplated what they really deserved. However despite all, he had a heart, he sorted people for a reason, placed them somewhere they would thrive, become there own hero's whether that took day's or centuries, hit them in the face or remained hidden behind clouds.

Then as all the years before he began to sing.

Welcome back one and all,  
>You are the hope after a fall,<br>We've love, and lost,  
>and loved some more,<br>Started building up our lives,  
>from the rubble of the war,<br>to push you in the right direction,  
>I think I really aught to mention,<br>This year your house means nothing more,  
>Than a reminder of that war,<br>That person is not and will never be you,  
>Just represents the extraordinary things you can do,<br>Snakes that slither, have hissed there last,  
>The Ravens have flown away fast,<br>The Badgers have burrowed deep in holes,  
>The Lions have roared and silenced the land.<br>you are one and joined for all,  
>To pick up the pieces that fell with the fall,<br>I know what you think, we can't do that,  
>You can't fool me though,<br>I hope you get that,  
>I am and always will be a thinking cap.<p>

He looked upon the silent faces, saw no sneers, no backchat, he celebrated. Not because was smug, because he cared and felt victorious although disappointed that it took a war, to make them listen.

**Many thanks to, ****LadyTygerEyez****, ****hopelesszee,****tatsash****, ****potter-granger-mad****, Whom favourites and follows, encourage me to write this. Many thanks also, to my 171 readers or viewers, even if you didn't stay and look I thank you for taking a peep. I would if not too much trouble a tiny little review?**


	3. Chapter 3

This was not the Gryffindor common room, nor was this the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, or reluctant to mention Slytherin common room. This was not the point because it was not the Gryffindor common room. This irked Ronald Weasley. This was not the Gryffindor common room, he was apparently the only one to notice.

'This is not the Gryffindor common room.' Ron stated to the room. He was met by all eyes turning towards him. The colour brown could be seen through the gaps of bodies. On the walls, the sofas, the tables.

'No, it's not the Slytherin Common room either, Weasley.' Pointed out Nott. He was met with a small nod of heads.

'No and neither is this the Ravenclaw, since it would have been far harder to get into.' Mumbled Michael, from where he sat huffing in a corner.

'It's not even the Hufflepuff common room.' Stated Hannah with a frown. Blaise Zambini smirked at this, meeting eyes with Pansy who smirked back.

'Well, that's a good thing they stated.' There mocking however was met with glares. Ronald had watched all this in silent contemplation, trying to work out if he'd missed something. He'd thought he'd got this all figured out, all this House Unity, apparently not, apparently that meant sharing a common room, with out cursers or Voldemort being resurrected. No, Ronald that's stupid, he heard Hermione say in his mind. He's gone, Ronald, never coming back. Infact as he looked around he noticed the only person in a temper was Dean, he then noticed Seamus was missing.

'Where's Seamus?' He asked Dean. Dean stiffened, everyone turned to see and as true as Ron said Seamus was not there.

'He's not here, Weasley.' Dean replied glaring. Everyone stared in confusion, the anger was so evident in his voice.

'Well, yes Thomas I think that was clearly evident, he means, where is he and why not here?' Harry and Ron glared at Malfoy. The blonde git.

'How the fuck do I know Malfoy?' Dean barked back. With that he stormed up stairs, leaving even more confusion in his wake.

'Since we're asking after people now, where's your girlfriend gone Potter, not with the leprechaun is she?' Ron had to physically restrain Potter from attacking Malfoy and his smirking cronies. 'Oh calm down Potter, she's in the year below. I forgot.' Harry still wouldn't let go. He seemed insistent on harming Malfoy.

'She is not my girlfriend Malfoy, you know that, you git!' Harry growled. There was a loud huff from the corner of the room.

'You know guys, this is just ridiculous.' Stated Parvarti. Harry snarled at the interruption.

'Your ridiculous!' He answered back. Malfoy rolled his eyes and smirked.

'Mature Potter, real mature.' He laughed. 'I thought we could start new, guess I was wrong.' He turned on his heels and left. Seeing no reason to stay so did the other Slytherins. Harry pulled himself out of Ron's grip and was met by a glare from Hermione. Not in the mood to be lectured on his behaviour he stormed off as well.

Hermione sighed and hugged Ron, watching as people started to disperse around them. Everyone was on edge and emotionally vulnerable and she reasoned that lots of people were having doubts about coming back.

'You know.' Stated Ron, Hermione turned he head to look at him. 'I think they act like this because deep down, they need each other, it's like Malfoy needs something to keep him sane and Harry needs something to get out of his head. I think they realise this, but don't understand what it means.'

Hermione's heart warmed at the words and for another time in her life was baffled and proud of just how much Ron had changed and that's the moment she knew that the sorting hat had been right.

* * *

><p><strong>So a lot shorter but they will be longer chapters, I just wanted to introduce a main factor of this story which is the relationship of Harry and Draco, and how people are changing. I have decided that I will post chapters on Tuesdays and Sundays, so that's when you can expect updates. I hope you liked it. <strong>

**-Eden**

**New: A guest asked a really good question about why in mine and some other peoples stories are Draco and the Slytherins, repeating there seventh year, My reason is because the Slytherins in my fic and Draco are trying to redeem them selves, I feel that to be on a side you believed in completely, and then have that loose a huge war, would spark something in you, make you possibly backtrack your thoughts and try to go back to where you went wrong in your decisions, Draco repeating this year is because essentially he almost killed a great Wizard and I feel that would have affected him if not obviously so he feels the need to try and grab onto something stable and make his own decision, therefore repeating school. I always picture Slytherins as followers and for Draco to go back that would make the others fall into place and feel 'hey if Draco's doing it, why not me?' Yes they did there seventh year, so did the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, maybe not completely or to there best but they all fit into the same boat. There that's my reasoning I feel I will incorporate that into my story more because I completely agree with the scepticism and a non existence in explanation.**


	4. Chapter 4

Harry was laying on the grass by the lake. Not the most secluded or even most beautiful place that Harry Potter could be sitting, but Harry Potter didn't care. He wasn't even sure why. He'd been fine, slowly and carefully ignoring his mental wounds, leaving them to heal on there own. Then he and Malfoy had shook hands, and for the first time since he'd tried this method, he'd felt one of them stitch it's self back up. He'd not known why then either, just known something had happened. Then Malfoy, oh stupid dark Slytherin Prince had gone and ripped it all the way back open.

Nothing bad had even really happened, there'd been no hexes, no remotely degrading language, but he couldn't just stand there and shut his mouth, he had to let his voice be heard. Harry wasn't sure why this hurt, because it hurt more than an open wound. He realized at that moment that it was. There'd always been this small part of him, dearly wishing he'd had a friend, other than Ron, who'd grown up so fast, it scared Harry, or even Hermione who for the first time since she was eleven, could life a life where magic did not come with fear. No he wanted a friend, someone who hurt just as much as he did, but he couldn't have that friend. He realized that friend was Malfoy. Not that he'd known, but that's why it hurt. His subconscious had clung onto the fact that the one thing he didn't he'd wanted, Infact needed had happened right in plain sight. Only to be taken away again.

He knew he was over reacting, Malfoy had just been teasing, He and Ginny were over. Although what he'd been hinting was that Harry was not good enough. Harry knew he wasn't good enough. He wasn't good enough to deserve parents, he wasn't good enough not to have his last remaining family, and then his home, his true home stay. They'd been taken away from right under his nose. He'd died, then been helped, always, always helped. If he was alone, he'd not have been there right now and he knew it. Harry Potter wasn't good enough.

Harry Potter was just a name.

**I am sorry I did not post yesterday. This chapter was short but to make up there will be a longer one tomorrow, mainly involving more of the other characters mentioned in the first chapter. This is just what was going on with Harry, that caused the thoughts that caused them to go from shaking hands on the platform to Harry over reacting. Thank you.**


	5. Not a chapter, sorry

**Hello there readers, for now the love of writing this particular fic has gone missing. I will, I 100% promise, come back and continue this, because it deserves to be written. Until then I am starting something new whilst the idea is planting in my mind. It will be a Albus/Scorpious fic. For now I say goodbye to this though my promise still stands and this will be finished defiantly before the end of the month :)**

**- Eden**


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